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WAYS TO CONTRIBUTE TO EVOLVING THIS SUSTAINABILITY COMPONENT WITH US

HIGHEST GOOD LIVING

We are planning to the best of our ability so we arrive on day 1 with most of the major financial investment items needed for the first year of living and building on the property. As we move forward, we will be seeking to additionally identify and only purchase the Highest Good options for all the items we use. Identifying the Highest Good choice for many of these areas will take extensive research and discussion to assure consideration of all factors and variables. With this in mind, each of the bullet points below is an area we will prioritize and address within the first 90 days on the property with the intent to do one of three things:

Invest the necessary resources to find a Highest Good solution immediately

Start gathering objective data for comparison when we adopt a Highest Good solution later

Create a collaborative tool and enroll others to help us find/create the needed Highest Good solution

HIGHEST GOOD DAILY LIVING PRACTICES

Composting, repurposing, reusing, etc.

Energy saving tips for brushing, washing, etc.

Water saving tips for brushing, washing, etc.

Health saving tips for brushing, washing, etc.

Daily cleaning: cloth versus paper towels, napkins, etc.

Use clothes lines or drying racks (in view of neighbors to be an example)

Reed Diffusers With Essential Oils – You can buy one in the stores, but usually they are quite expensive and the scents are made primarily from chemicals. Instead why not make your own at home? You can use any essential oils you like and can blend different oils together to create an aroma that is perfect for you and your family.

Homemade Potpourri – Potpourri is so simple to make it would be silly to pay for it. You can tailor the fragrances with your favorite smells and add some seasonal elements to make it even more special.

Homemade Herbal Incense – Incense can be a wonderful way to add a beautiful aroma to your home so take a look at this fantastic video which shows you how to make your own homemade incense with herbs.

DIY Scented Plug-in Refill – This fantastic tutorial which reveals how to get rid of the horrible toxic liquid found in chemical laden store bought plug-ins and replace it with health giving, wonderfully fragrant, toxin free essential oils.

Essential Oil Jelly Air Freshener – The great thing about these jelly air fresheners are that you can add ANY essential oil you want to, or even blend a few different oils together. Perfect if you have a particular scent you are trying to create.

Homemade ‘Fake Febreeze’ – A bottle of Febreeze is currently selling on Amazon for a whopping $6.99, yet you can make a homemade version that’s just as effective (and natural) for only $0.15. If you buy just one bottle per month, then that’s a monthly saving of $6.75 – and a yearly saving of $81! (We suggest you use a homemade natural fabric softener for this recipe.)

Homemade Mod Podge – If you are a keen crafter and go through tonnes of Mod Podge then why not have a go at making some for yourself, you will be surprised at how much you will save.

Un-paper Towels – Are you fed up of buying endless paper towels? If so, then this is the answer for you, these will act just like paper towels, but look pretty, and are totally re-usable, meaning you only have to purchase the materials once. Not forgetting them being economically friendly.
More DIY Potpourri by Happy Money Saver

HIGHEST GOOD CLEANING SOLUTIONS

DIY CLEANING RESOURCES

Non-Toxic Home Cleaning: A wealth of resources including Homemade Substitutions, Formulas, Healthy Home Cleaning Habits, Commercial Non-toxic Household Products and more
Homemade Natural Bleach Alternative – If you find bleach cleaners too strong and sometimes irritate your skin or eyes, then this alternative promises to clean just like bleach but without the harmful side affects.

Beeswax Furniture Polish – This is a really simple recipe for a beeswax furniture polish that will restore shine and add gloss to your wooden furniture returning it to its original beauty. No need for expensive store bought polish!

Homemade Bath Tub Scrub – A wonderful bathtub scrub enriched with lemon essential oil and a surprising ingredient…ground up eggshells which give the scrub its abrasiveness and mixed with baking soda and a citrus-y essential oil makes this fantastic bathtub scrub a real winner.

World’s Best Homemade Laundry Detergent – It is all natural, it is much cheaper (you’ll be saving around $0.16 per load!), it cleans incredibly effectively, it works in all washer types and it’s also safe for septic tanks.

Homemade Liquid Dish Soap – This homemade liquid dish soap is fantastic. It’s natural, organic and antibacterial. Plus it’s a great money saver! To make a 32 oz batch costs about $1.20 compared to $4.47 for the equivalent in Dawn dish soap.

Homemade Natural Fabric Softener – Want to make your laundry smell amazing, stay fresh and soft, well this is the recipe for you. Most fabric softeners are really toxic and could be harmful to skin.

Natural Disinfectant Spray – It contains just four ingredients: water, eucalyptus, lavender and tea tree essential oil (all of which can be bought here). The essential oils have antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal and antibiotic properties helping to clean and disinfect surfaces in your home without the chemicals, without the expense and with a wonderful aroma, too!

HIGHEST GOOD FOOD WE CAN’T PRODUCE OURSELVES

DIY FOOD RESOURCES

Homemade Ketchup – This ketchup won’t break the bank, tastes better than the real deal and contains no added sugar – so it’s nutritionally good for the whole family.

Homemade Mayonnaise – This is a great recipe for any mayonnaise lover out there wanting to make their own at home, it’s simple and easy and tastes better than the store bought versions.

Peanut Butter – It is so simple to make this pantry staple it would be silly to buy it. With only 3 ingredients you can make a simple tasty Peanut Butter for your whole family.

Simple Loaf Of Bread – This is a classic recipe for you to make and stop buying your normal weekly loaf of bread – nothing beats the smell of freshly baked bread. Saving you pennies and preservatives.

Homemade Nutella – It would make more sense to give your children chocolate spread which you made and know exactly what is in right? Then how about this fantastic recipe…

Homemade Butter – Instead of buying preservative laden, calorific heavy butter from the store, make your own butter with just 4 ingredient and a standard kitchen mixer…so simple yet so tasty.

Homemade Yoghurt – This recipe makes a thick and creamy yoghurt that would rival any store bought version. Once you learn this method you won’t be buying it again!

Spice Mixers – Did you know that store bought spice mixers and rubs have all sorts of questionable ingredients in them like fillers, preservatives and other unwanted fake flavor enhancers? It is far healthier, cheaper and tastier to make your own, here are 17 combinations to start you off…

Salad Dressing – This simple recipe for homemade salad dressing will jazz up any old salad and make it fabulous. Forget the store bought versions, get your aprons on and get making.

Homemade Maple Syrup – This classic sauce is so expensive nowadays, did you know it is so simple and easy to collect your own!

Make your own healthy carbonated drinks with this $50 DIY water carbonator. It can be filled for just a few dollars and used to carbonate 1000s of healthy teas and/or fresh-squeezed juices:

DIY PERSONAL CARE RESOURCES:

Want to know which toothpaste is the most consumer-friendly? Check out Cornucopia’s Toothpaste Brand Scorecard.
Honey Shampoo – This shampoo helps reduce frizz, combat dandruff, moisturizer and softens you hair all in one. A natural, kind to your skin shampoo that will make you think twice next time you are in the store.

Coconut Oil Deep Conditioner – With just three ingredients, you can whip up an economical, natural and luxurious conditioner to treat your hair, leaving it soft, manageable and shiny.

Body Wash – If you want to save money but have little time to spare, then this is the natural alternative is for you. A simple recipe and method which makes a soapy bubbly wash great for all skin types.

Shaving Cream – This shaving cream will leave your skin soft and smelling fantastic. With ingredients like coconut oil, Shea butter, mint and rosemary you will feel invigorated and fresh after every shave.

Minty Mouthwash – Not only is it chemical and alcohol-free, it’s practically free, well nearly is at $0.02 /oz! You will save loads on money this, and improve your family’s oral health at the same time – simple.

Homemade Natural Sun Screen – Most sun screens contain toxic chemicals and other harmful ingredients that could actually damage you when they should be protecting you. Check out this natural alternative and make the swap.

Cleansing Wipes – These organic wipes are totally natural and only contain ingredients you are aware of. Perfect for cleansing your face or as baby wipes for diaper changes.

DIY BEAUTY AND MAKEUP SOLUTIONS

Mascara – Arsenic, beryllium, cadmium, nickel, lead and thallium are toxins we do NOT want to be applying to our skin! So opt for this homemade version and you will save money and protect your skin.

Tinted Lipstick – This recipe includes beeswax pastilles, Shea/cocoa butter and coconut oil. It allows you to customize it with different natural powders, such as beetroot powder for red hues, cocoa powder for brown hues and bentonite clay for a matte texture.

Eye Liner – How would you like to be able to make your own natural eyeliner (which can also be used as a smokey eyeshadow) for just $0.24? If yes – then check this recipe out.

Bronzer – This homemade bronzer is really easy to make, simple to customize and so much better for your skin than store-bought varieties. A brilliant way of saving money too.

Natural Blush – Give your cheeks a rosy tint and brighten up your complexion with this easy natural blush recipe. Cosmetics are so pricey these days now really is the time to start making your own.

Foundation – This foundation from Robin at ThankYourBody.com contains all natural and non-toxic ingredients, it works fantastically (see a before and after foundation picture on the blog) and it’s really easy to make.

Under Eye Serum – Ingredients such as tamanu oil, vitamin E oil, grapefruit seed extract, avocado oil, carrot seed oil and more make this such an effective anti-wrinkle eye serum that is totally natural.

Copycat Burts Bees Lip Balm – This wonderful copy cat recipe from HappyMoneySaver.com reveals how you can make your own version of Burts Bees Lip Balm (Normally priced $2.50) for just $0.12 per tube – what an incredible saving!

Lavender Bath Salts – Making these lavender bath salts couldn’t be simpler. You need just a few ingredients such as Epsom salts, sea salt, dried lavender buds and lavender essential oil and then you just have to follow the instructions.

Anti-wrinkle Cream – Have you ever been tempted by those “miracle” creams that will make you look “ten years younger” that all the major beauty companies produce? Well most are packed with chemicals, preservatives and artificial ingredients and on top of that, they are outrageously expensive. Make your own instead!

* Note: These criteria are not in any particular order because it is expected that the ordering of criteria will most likely differ in many situations.

Q: What other areas will you be addressing?

Here’s a 2.5 hour keynote address by Paul Wheaton that pretty much sums up the additional areas we’d like to address with comprehensive sustainability. We see almost everything in Paul’s presentation as worth exploring, further developing, and open source sharing.

To expand within 5 years to a community of 200 full-time residents producing ongoing tools, resources, and tutorials while hosting thousands of annual visitors as outlined in our long-term vision page.

To define the global-solution industry itself as an open source industry, expanding mainstream awareness, appeal, and desire for comprehensive sustainability by demonstrating and sharing a more attractive and fulfilling way of living that people can have if they desire to create it also.

To transform our world into a sustainable and happier one through teacher/demonstration communities, villages, and cities to be built all over the world. We will work with these hubs as our open source partners and fellow leaders of the open source, Highest Good of All, and sustainable planet movement leading to a New Golden Age of cooperation, collaboration, innovation, creativity, sustainable living, and increased happiness for the entire human organism.

Q: Why not just build a small-scale prototype home or community that includes a minimum-scale revenue-generating demonstration/operation? Wouldn't this get things going faster?

This already exists as Airbnb and people are doing amazing with it, so small-scale operations are not what we see as missing. What we see as missing is a complete model for self-sufficiency that is open source and reasonably replicable. Even complete models for self-sufficiency already exist in the form of the many eco-villages out there, what none of those offer though is any sort of understanding and/or path for how average people with average means can replicate them. We also think there isn’t enough of a compelling reason for most people to bother with changing how they live now to engage such a path/project, so our project is purposed to provide and demonstrate that too.

To support faster and broader implementation while working on these big goals, we are also taking the extra time necessary to develop everything so it is modular and also implementable as individual components. This will allow for anyone who doesn’t desire the full teacher/demonstration hub approach to have options too, but our primary goal is to demonstrate the complete teacher/demonstration hub as easy enough, affordable enough, and attractive enough for average people with average means to want to replicate it and/or use what we provide to build their own version.

Q: If you are giving everything away through open source, how do you intend to make money?

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